"chrisR" wrote in :


"Jeff" wrote in message
...
* Duncan McC (NZ) wrote, On 6/10/2007 10:02 PM:
My issue with this situation is that the boat is marketed to
novices, yet requires extra attention to issues that are found on
very few other boats.

Absolutely - so really the instructions should be *always* operate
the boat with the ballast in place (when on the water).


Here is the decal from the 26M. I don't know if the 26X had the same
warning, but IIRC the boat that rolled didn't have a decal.

http://www.macgregor26.com/safety/sa...l_apr_2006.pdf

The M version was redesigned to include several hundred pounds of
ballast plus foam in the mast which means that it should be
self-righting in most situations. In the X version, they say that if
the boat heels 50 degrees without water ballast it will quite
possibly capsize and not self-right.

Here is the full list of safety recommendations/warnings on the site:

http://www.macgregor26.com/safety/safety.htm

Some of the warnings would apply to any boat, but many are unique for
a 26 foot sailboat sold as a "cruiser." In particular, without the
water ballast crew size is limited to 4 people/640 pounds. Having
sailed many years in daysailers 15-19 feet, the concept of a 26 foot
cruising boat with a cabin that is unsafe with 5 people on board is
quite unexpected.

That is a bit of an eye-opener!
It is hard to believe that a boat designed with these use restrictions
is offered to its target market, even for use in calm coastal waters.
I wonder how many dealers ensure that buyers know exactly what they
are getting? ChrisR



Is that a dealer's job? I don't think so. The dealers job is to deliver
a ready-to-go boat with all the paperwork. It's up to the buyer to
educate himself. Sure the dealer should answer all questions honestly
but how many people ask intelligent questions these days? If I were a
dealer I'd just caution the buyer to be sure to familiarize himself with
the owner's manual and pay attention to the warnings in it and on
stickers on the boat.

How many car dealers give lessons and warnings when selling a high
performance Mustang? That would probably be insulting to most customers.


--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm